Preparation

Make filling:
Beat marmalade into vanilla ice cream in a bowl with a wooden spoon until combined, then spread in an 8-inch cake pan. Spread sorbet in other 8-inch cake pan. Cover pans with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours.

Make génoise:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch cake pan and line bottom with a round of parchment or wax paper, then butter paper.

Sift flour and salt into a bowl.

Heat eggs and sugar in a large metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water, gently whisking constantly, until lukewarm and sugar is dissolved.

Remove bowl from pot and add zest and liqueur, then beat with an electric mixer at high speed until very thick, pale, and tripled in volume (about 7 minutes in a stand mixer or 10 minutes with a handheld). If using a tall narrow bowl, transfer to a large wide bowl (to facilitate folding). Resift flour and salt over eggs in 2 batches, folding gently but thoroughly after each batch. Fold butter into about 1 cup batter in a small bowl until just combined, then fold butter mixture into remaining batter gently but thoroughly until just combined. Spread in buttered pan, smoothing top.

Bake cake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then run a thin knife between cake and side of pan and invert rack over cake. Flip cake onto rack and cool completely. Peel off paper.

Cut cake horizontally in half with a long serrated knife to form 2 layers, then tightly wrap each layer in plastic wrap and freeze 30 minutes.

Make meringue:
Beat egg whites and a pinch of salt in a large bowl with cleaned beaters at moderately high speed until foamy, then add cream of tartar and continue to beat until whites hold soft peaks. Add sugar a little at a time, beating, and continue beating until whites just hold stiff, glossy peaks. Beat in vanilla.

Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.

Transfer frozen cake (still on plate or inverted cake pan) to a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and spread meringue over cake, making it at least 1 inch thick and mounding it on top. Make an indentation with a tablespoon in center of meringue deep enough to fit eggshell. Bake cake until edges are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Carefully transfer cake to a serving plate using 2 metal spatulas and place eggshell in indentation. Pour liqueur into eggshell and carefully ignite with a kitchen match. Spoon flaming liqueur evenly over meringue (flaming liqueur will brown meringue a little more). Remove eggshell and serve baked Alaska immediately.

Cooks' notes:
 Cake with ice cream and sorbet, but without meringue, can be assembled 2 days ahead and frozen, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
 The egg whites in the meringue will not be fully cooked. If salmonella is a problem in your area, you can substitute Eggology brand pasteurized egg whites.

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Recent Review

I had great success with this dessert, it was not as complicated as it sounds. The only issue I had was with the sorbet, it didn't freeze solidly and was a bit difficult to get out of the pan. But definitely worth the effort; the meringue was fantastic!